作者： admin

The ongoing U.S. government shutdown, now in its 35th day, is causing widespread hardship as millions of Americans face reduced food assistance. The White House has announced that only partial payments will be made to the 42 million individuals reliant on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps. This decision comes as the shutdown nears a record length, crippling essential public services. Federal courts recently ruled that the Trump administration must allocate $4.65 billion from an emergency fund to cover part of November’s SNAP costs, estimated at $9 billion. However, officials from the Agriculture Department confirmed they would not bridge the funding gap, leaving 50% of eligible households with reduced benefits. The shutdown has also jeopardized other critical programs, including WIC, which supports pregnant women and infants, and Head Start, which provides nutrition and family support to thousands of children. At the core of the political impasse is the expiration of Affordable Care Act subsidies, set to lapse at year’s end unless Congress intervenes. Democrats and Republicans remain deadlocked, with Democrats demanding a deal to extend health care subsidies and Republicans refusing to negotiate until the government reopens. President Trump has instructed government lawyers to explore legal avenues to fund SNAP, but delays are expected. Critics, including top Senate Democrat Patty Murray, have condemned the administration for failing to fully fund SNAP payments, calling the partial funding ‘not acceptable.’

Nicholas Rossi, a 38-year-old American fugitive who notoriously faked his own death and assumed a false identity to evade extradition from Scotland, has been sentenced to a minimum of 10 years in prison for raping two women in Utah in 2008. His elaborate attempts to escape justice captivated global attention after he was identified in a Glasgow hospital’s COVID ward in 2021. Despite claiming to be an Irish orphan named Arthur Knight, hospital staff recognized him from an Interpol notice due to his distinctive tattoos. Rossi’s charade continued through court hearings, where he appeared in an electric wheelchair, wearing an oxygen mask, and maintained his innocence. However, his claims were debunked, and he was extradited to the U.S. in January 2024. Following separate trials in August and September 2024, Rossi was convicted of both rapes. Utah’s indeterminate sentencing system means he could face life imprisonment, with the state’s parole board determining his final release date. During the trials, Rossi’s victims delivered emotional impact statements, describing the lifelong trauma he inflicted. Rossi, however, denied the allegations and vowed to appeal. His defense argued for concurrent sentences, but prosecutors highlighted his manipulative behavior, including thousands of unauthorized prison calls. Judge Derek Pullan labeled Rossi a serial sex offender and a danger to society. Born Nicholas Alahverdian in Rhode Island, Rossi had a troubled past, including time in foster care and a brief stint as a child welfare advocate. Reports of his death in 2020 were later revealed as a ruse to escape FBI investigations into alleged credit card fraud. His eventual capture and conviction mark the end of a long and bizarre saga of evasion and deception.